Laughing in the Darkness
by iloveromance
Summary: Plagued by nightmares of prison life, a terrified Elaine Benes feels lost and alone... until help comes in the form of a Seattle radio show.
1. Chapter 1

"BENES!"

The harsh sound of the prison warden startled Elaine out of her thoughts. She didn't have to look at a clock to know what time it was. Every night, the Women's warden made the rounds, making sure that every female prisoner was in her cell.

Well, she didn't have to worry about that (the witch!). Elaine had no intention of breaking out. She was determined to be on her best behavior. After all, she only had a few days left in this place and she didn't want to stay in the Latham County Prison a second longer than she had to.

"BENES! GET OVER HERE!" the booming voice came again. Elaine rose from the hard, uncomfortable joke-of-a-bed, and dutifully walked toward the warden, separated from her by only the cruel steel bars.

"Y-you called, Arlene?"  
The warden's eyes narrowed. Then, to Elaine's horror, the warden reached through the bars and grabbed Elaine's hair, causing her to bump her head against the thick metal.

"OW!"

"Look, the name's SMITH, GOT IT?" The warden yelled. "And for the record, that's WARDEN SMITH!"

"Y-yes, Warden Smith." Elaine whimpered. "I-I just thought... Well, we've seen each other every day for months now and don't you think it's about time we were on a first name basis?"

Warden Smith smiled... something Elaine never thought she'd witness in her lifetime.

"Come here, Benes..."

Obediently, Elaine moved closer to the bars. "Yes, ma'am?"  
"NO FIRST NAMES, BENES!" Warden Smith yelled, almost bursting Elaine's eardrum.

Without another word, Warden Smith walked away, relishing in the laughter and cheers from Elaine's prison mates.

Shaken, Elaine walked back over to the concrete slab bed and sat down. Her head throbbed with the worst headache imaginable.

God, she would kill for some aspirin right now...

And she meant that literally. What could they do to her? She was already in prison.

Anything to get rid of this headache.

It didn't even have to be a name brand!

It was only fair...

She'd gotten the headache because of Warden Smith. Wouldn't that be like worker's comp?

She made a mental note to ask Jerry about that one.

Jerry...

God she missed him. Unbelievably she missed George and Kramer too. She vowed at that moment never to take them for granted again.

If she ever saw them again that is...

"BENES!"

Elaine cringed, the headache instantly throbbing even more.

_Oh God... Not again..._

"Yes Warden Smith?" Elaine said, immediately standing at attention.

"Mail for you."

"For me?" Elaine asked, touched by the simple statement.

"That's what I said!" Warden Smith barked. "What are ya, deaf or something?"  
_Not yet..._ Elaine mumbled.

"What was that?" Warden Smith snapped.

"N-nothing." Elaine said hoarsely.

"Well, here ya go."

Elaine held out her hand to take the manila envelope that Warden Smith was holding.

"Thank you, really. You have no idea how much this means to me." Elaine babbled.

"Are you through?" Warden Smith asked, bearing that God-awful grin that Elaine hated so much.

"Um... I'll just go over here and... open this up." Elaine said.

"You do that." Warden Smith said.

Elaine walked over to the slab and sat down, wincing at how cold it was.

Damn, with all the taxes that these people in Latham must pay, you'd think they could get some heat for their prisoners!

She tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. As soon as she saw the perfect handwriting, her heart warmed and she couldn't help but smile.

Jerry...

"_Dear Elaine,_

_Since we don't get to see each other often in here, I thought you should know that Kramer, George and I have all been released from prison early due to good behavior. Imagine that! Anyway, we're going to hop a plane and go back to New York, so we'll see you whenever they decide to spring you. _

_Say hello to Warden Green for me, would ya? He promised he'd come to my show next month._

_Signed,  
Jerry (Jerome) Seinfeld... Cell Block A_

Elaine gasped. "WHAT? NO! This is wrong!"

"SHUT UP, Benes!" another inmate yelled from down the hall.

"But-But... this can't be happening!" She began to pace the room, anxiety causing her heart to beat wildly beneath her chest.

"WARDEN SMITH!" She yelled.

Within seconds the warden returned.

"What is the meaning of this, Benes?" She yelled.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Elaine pleaded.

Warden Smith scoffed. "I don't know what in the hell you're talking about, Benes."

"This!" Elaine said, shoving the envelope through the bars.

Warden Smith opened the envelope and quickly read the letter.

"Oh yeah, I remember this letter. Your friends, Seinfeld, Kramer and Costanza... they were sprung a few weeks ago. I guess they forgot to let you know."

"A couple of WEEKS ago? Are you crazy? Why didn't I get to go free?"

"Well, Benes, it's complicated. You see-."

"But Warden Smith, we were all in here for the exact same reasons! Why did they get out before I did."  
Warden Smith smiled. "Well, Benes... there appears to be a problem."

"Problem? What problem?"  
Suddenly an ear-piercing scream could be heard from the second level, causing her to cringe.

"What problem?" Elaine asked, suddenly desperate.

"I gotta get going." Warden Smith said. "Sounds like things have gotten out of hand up there."  
And then she was gone.

"But what about me?" Elaine cried. "You can't just leave me in here! Please! Warden Smith! I want to go home!

Please!"

_Please... let me out... I want to go home... please..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Let me out... Please... Let me out..._

Elaine bolted upright, her heart racing. Miraculously, there were no noises; only silence.

Silence...

_Oh my God..._

She opened her eyes, trying to focus in the darkness.

She was at home in her bed.

It had all been a dream.

Or nightmare, rather.

She could feel her body shaking.

This was the worst nightmare yet.  
When would it end?

Suddenly the phone rang, sending shock-waves through her body.

She lay back on the bed, trying to calm her nerves.

When it rang again, she picked up the receiver.

"H-hello?"

Damn, her voice was shaking like crazy.

"Elaine?"

_Jerry..._

"Um... yeah."  
"It's me. Did I wake you?"  
"N-no... No. I was up."

Boy that was an understatement.

"Are you okay? You sound a little strange."  
Elaine tried to laugh. "But don't I always?"

To her amazement, Jerry didn't give one of his witty comebacks.

"Well, I know it's late but I just wanted to tell you that I got that interview I wanted with that new magazine!"

"Oh... That's... great." She said, hating the way the words came out. Jerry had been trying to get that interview for months.

"I'm... happy for you." She added, hoping that he wouldn't notice.

But he knew her too well.

"Lainey, what's wrong?"

"Oh um..."

"Oh, I guess I woke you up. Sorry about that. I just got in from a show and I didn't realize how late it had gotten. I'll just talk to you tomorrow. Bye Elaine."

"NO!" She yelled, the word coming out in a desperate rush.

"_No_, meaning you _won't_ talk to me tomorrow? Wow, that's the worst break-up line I've ever heard. And the funny thing is that we aren't even-."

"No... I-I mean... I don't want you to go."

"Okay... But can you please tell me what's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing, Jerry. Really, I-."

She was horrified when her voice broke, and a rush of tears began to stream down her face.

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

She was still holding the phone to her ear when she heard the dial tone.

Elaine rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom, checking her appearance in the mirror.

Oh God, she looked horrible! Her cheeks were red and puffy and she could hardly see for the hot tears that were burning her eyes.

In a lame attempt to make herself look better, she splashed water onto her face and blotted it dry with a towel. But that did nothing for the redness.

Seconds later the doorbell rang and she hurried to answer it.

Still dressed in his trademark sport coat and sneakers, his face registered concern when he saw her.

"Elaine, what is it?" His tone was frantic as he stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him.

Elaine turned away, not wanting him to see how bad she looked.

"I-I heard a noise and I just... panicked. I'm sorry." Elaine said.

"A noise? Was someone trying to break in?" Jerry asked, immediately checking the locks on her doors and windows.

"Um... no... It was just... Oh God..."

The lump that had formed in her throat had disappeared, and in its place, haunting memories of that horrible nightmare.

It was only when Jerry wrapped his arms around her that she realized she'd been sobbing.

"Lainey, my God, you're shaking!" Jerry said.

"I-I know..." She said with a nod.

He led her to the sofa and gently sat down with her. The kind gesture caused the dam of emotions to break and she began to sob into his shirt.

He held her close, stroking her dark wavy hair in a desperate effort to calm her.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

Her mind flashed back to that horrible confrontation with Warden Smith.

"I-It was awful! She was so mean, Jerry!"

"Who was mean? Elaine, what are you talking about?"

"Th-the warden."

He was silent for a few seconds and then nodded in understanding.

"You were having another nightmare, weren't you?"

"I guess I was." She sobbed. "But tonight was the worst ever."

He held her close, rubbing her arm. "God I wish I had known."

"I-It's okay. You couldn't have."

"This jail thing must have affected you more than any of us." Jerry said.

"I-I still can't believe we got arrested, Jerry! We were prisoners!"

Jerry laughed despite himself.

"I can't believe it either, but it sure provided me with enough material for a lifetime. I mean, you wouldn't believe the response I got tonight when I asked what the deal was with the yard, and-."

She smiled, but then turned away slightly.

"Oh God... I'm sorry. I'm making jokes and... Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"I-I don't know." Elaine said.

"Well look, let me make you some hot tea."

"Jerry, you really don't have to-."  
"It's no problem." He said.

She watched him as he made her tea and then brought it over to her.

"Thanks." She said, blowing on the tea to cool it and then taking a sip. The warm liquid trailed down her throat, instantly soothing her.

"Feel better?"  
"Yeah..."

Minutes later, Jerry looked at his watch. "Wow, it's late. I should probably go."  
When he rose from the sofa, she pulled him back down.

"N-No please. I-I don't think I can be here alone." She said tearfully.

He reached over and brushed a lock of hair from her face. "This really scared you, didn't it?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

Jerry sighed. "Okay, what the hell. I'll just stay here on the sofa."

Elaine smiled gratefully. "I'll get you a pillow and a blanket."  
"You wouldn't happen to have a toothbrush, would you?" he called to her when she began to rummage through the closet.

"Um... Let me check." She padded into the bathroom and opened a drawer. Sure enough, the brand-new package of toothbrushes was still there.

"Here you go. Take your pick." She said, handing him the package.

"Wow, what a decision. Do I go with the orange, the blue or the purple?" He pondered.

"Exactly, I mean, what if you make the _wrong_ decision?" She quipped, unable to resist the urge to smile.

When he looked at her in surprise, she grinned.

"Goodnight, Jerry."


	3. Chapter 3

Feeling safe and secure, Elaine smiled as she walked back to her bedroom.

God, this was embarrassing! Jerry must think she's a real nutcase (even more so than before!).

But that nightmare was more real to her than anything she'd ever experienced. Even worse than being arrested.

Still the dreams came, as they had come every night since they were sprung from the Latham County Prison. 

_f Jerry hadn't called earlier..._

She clutched the comforter closer to her body, unable to stop thinking about the events of that night.

She still couldn't believe that he'd just dropped everything to make sure that she was okay. It was so unlike him. She hadn't even told him about the dream, but somehow he knew that something was wrong.

Her heart warmed, just thinking about it.

She padded into the living room, which was dark except for the soft glow of the television set.

She smiled at the image on the screen;

_Abbot and Costello_-Jerry's favorite. Sometimes Elaine wondered if Jerry and George weren't Abbot and Costello reincarnated.

She moved closer, where she found him stretched out on the sofa. Gently she unfolded the blanket that lay across the sofa and lovingly placed it over his sleeping form.

At once, a reminder of what they once shared between them caused her eyes to fill with tears.

The urge to reach out and run her fingers through his hair drew her hand close to his face. However, when he stirred slightly, she pulled her hand away.

_Go on, Elaine..._ A voice inside her urged.

_Oh shut up!_ She answered back.

She watched him for a few more minutes, unable to hide the smile on her face.

Finally, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Sweet dreams." She whispered.

He stirred, causing a tinge of panic to come over her. How would she explain this?

To her relief, he changed positions on the sofa and went back to sleep; his face turned toward hers.

And she wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that he was smiling, too.


	4. Chapter 4

_Who in the hell turned out the lights? Had New York City gone through another blackout?_

Elaine's eyes widened as she felt her way through the pitch-black maze, unable to see her hand in front of her face.

Damn, this is crazy...

_Just keep walking, Elaine. Keep walking. There has to be a light around here somewhere._

She wondered if anyone else was having trouble with their lights. She should sue New York Electric.

God knows she'd filed hundreds of complaints but her dumbest move was writing the editorial for the paper. What in the hell was she thinking, adding her work number?

A lot of good that had done... Instead of scoring dates with sexy single men, she'd gotten calls from every loser in the city; guys who made Crazy Joe Devola look like Einstein.

And David Puddy seem like Brad Pitt.

Just thinking about it made her nauseous.

_Come on, Elaine... You're almost there..._

Great, now she was hearing voices.

_Just a few more steps..._

She moved slowly through the darkness until finally she saw it...

A beam of light.

_Thank God..._

Excitement filled her as she walked toward its source.

The light became brighter and brighter, until she saw an outstretched hand.

Was this Heaven?

Instinctively, she closed her eyes and extended her hand. Suddenly she felt herself being pulled foreword.

"WELCOME BACK, BENES!"

_That voice..._

Cautiously she opened her eyes and then gasped in horror...

"Warden Smith!"

"Tryin' to pull a fast one weren't you, Benes?"

"Um, N-no... I-."

"DON'T TRY TO HIDE IT, BENES!" Warden Smith's booming voice startled Elaine and caused her to fall backwards.

"I KNOW YOU WERE TRYIN' TO ESCAPE!"

"E-escape? B-but..."

"Save it for the judge! In the meantime, I have a new home for you. Now get in there!"

An unknown force propelled her to her feet, and then thrust her foreword where she landed with a thud on the cold, hard floor.

The pain she felt was excruciating.

Then to her horror, she heard the all-too-familiar scraping of metal, followed by a loud bang.

She quickly swung around, her eyes widening when she realized what had just happened.

"N-No... Please!" She cried frantically, grasping the bars inside the incredibly claustrophobic cell.

"I-I just got out... W-we did. Why am I in here again?"

"Well, let's just say that we dug up some more dirt on you, Benes. Judge decided that you should have ten more years!"

"TEN YEARS? B-But that's crazy! Go tell him the truth. That I didn't do anything, I swear! I didn't mean to make fun of the guy! Please, Warden Smith, I'm begging you..."

But Warden Smith only laughed in Elaine's face.

She tried again...

"Please! Let me out! I'm sorry, I won't hurt anyone ever again, I promise! I want to go home! Please!"

But it was no use...

She crouched down on the floor, sobbing heavily into her arms.

"I want out! Please! I can't stay here... Someone... please help me!"

But there was only silence...


	5. Chapter 5

"No... Please... Let me out... Please!"

The faint voice startled him awake. Jerry opened his eyes, trying to focus on his surroundings.

_Where am I?_

"I can't stay here! Please!"

_That voice..._

Suddenly he remembered.

He bolted from the sofa, throwing the blanket aside (_how did that get here_?) and ran into her bedroom.

"Elaine!"

He peered inside, panicking when he saw Elaine, tossing and turning violently in her bed.

He was by her side in an instant, gently shaking her shoulders in an effort to wake her.

"Elaine! Wake up! Elaine! It's me, Jerry!"

Finally she opened her eyes, and the instant she saw him, she threw her arms around him, sobbing hysterically.

"Oh Jerry..."

He was painfully aware of her trembling body, and it took all the strength he had to hold onto her.

"I'm here... It's okay." He said, unable to think of anything better to say.

Minutes later, she was still sobbing, and he ran his hand up and down her back, wondering what in the hell had happened in that prison to cause these recurring nightmares.

At least he had George and Kramer.

But Elaine...

She had no one.

No wonder she always looked so damn excited to see them.

"It's okay." He said again. "It was just a bad dream."

"Oh my God..." She cried again.

"I'm gonna go and make you some more tea." But as soon as tried to pull away, she grasped him tightly.

"Elaine..."

"Don't leave... Please!"

He pulled her closer to him, allowing her to sob into his shirt.

"I'm right here, Lainey. I'm not going anywhere. It's okay."

Damn... He was not prepared for this at all.

Suddenly he wished he hadn't come.

No, that was wrong. She definitely shouldn't be alone right now.

The thought that she'd gone through this before with no one around made him shudder.

But he didn't know how to comfort a woman. Most women he knew were lame, spoiled and...

"I'm sorry."

The voice caught him off guard and it took him a few seconds to realize that she had spoken.

"What?"

"I-I'm sorry." She said again.

"Stop being sorry." He said. "If anyone's sorry, it's me." Jerry said.

She pulled away from him, brushing the tears from her cheeks.

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one who dragged you over here in the middle of the night!"

"Lainey, look at you! Y-you're shaking! I've never seen you like this before. How long has this been going on?"

She swallowed hard.

"Um... Ever since they let us out."

He quickly calculated the time in his head, and then looked at her in disbelief.

"My God, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's no big deal, Jerry. Honest. It's just..."

Jerry sighed, desperately trying to think of a way to help her.

_Damn it, Seinfeld... You can do this..._

"I-I'm sorry." She said again. "I-I'm just delusional, I guess."

Jerry couldn't help but smile.

"You really want me to comment on that?"

Amazingly she laughed, causing Jerry to smile with relief.

His voice turned serious. "Are you okay, now?"

"Mmmm Hmmm." She said with a nod.

"Okay, I'll go get that tea for you."

He touched her shoulder as he rose from the bed and then went to the kitchen to prepare her tea.

Moments later he returned, pleased to see her smiling at him.

"Here you go." He said, handing her the tea.

"Thanks." She said, taking a sip.

He took the cup from her and sat it on her nightstand, and then lovingly tucked her in.

"Goodnight, Lainey." He said, kissing her forehead.

As soon as he reached the doorway of her room, she sat up in a panic.

"No!"

"Lainey, what is it?"

"D-Don't go... Please..."

She began to cry again.

His heart sank, seeing her so distraught. But maybe the best thing would be for him to go home.

She'd be okay... eventually.

Besides, he really ought to get home and out of these clothes.

But he couldn't just leave her.

His heart wouldn't let him.

He climbed into bed with her and took her in his arms, holding her until she fell asleep...

And then well into the next morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Jerry walked into his apartment and sighed. "Finally I can get out of these clothes."

His neatly pressed shirt and pants were wrinkled beyond belief.

_Damn... Another trip to the cleaners. Why in the hell didn't I change before I went over there?_

Literally seconds after he sat his keys down on the coffee table, the door opened. Kramer came bursting in, followed by George.

_All I wanted was some peace and quiet._ Jerry muttered to himself.

"See, I told you he was all right." Kramer said, pointing at Jerry.

"Well how was I supposed to know?" George asked.

He glared at Jerry. "Where in the hell have you been?" he yelled.

"I called you twenty times! Twenty! Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with twenty different messages to leave on your voice mail?"

"George, you didn't have to-."

"It's impossible, Jerry!" George continued. "So where in the hell were you, anyway?"

Jerry cringed. There was no other way to say this, other than just saying it.

"I spent the night at Elaine's."

The box of cereal George was holding dropped to the floor, sending its contents tumbling to the floor.

"Oh Geez..." George said, scrambling to clean up the mess.

"Damn it, George! Now look what you've done!" Jerry groaned.

"Forget about that!" George said.

"You spent the night with Elaine?" Kramer asked.

Here it comes...

Kramer raised his eyebrows up and down. "Oh yeah... Ooh La La!"

"Kramer... It wasn't like that!" Jerry said.

"All right Seinfeld, I want details and I want them now!" George ordered.

"Come on, out with it!" Kramer urged.

George's temper flared and Jerry was sure the guy was going to blow his top.

"Jerry Seinfeld, we're not leaving here until you confess. And by confess, I mean everything. Trust me, I don't have a job, I live with my parents and I have no life, so I can stay here all night if that's what it takes!"

Jerry rose from the sofa and resumed cleaning up the mess George had made by spilling the cereal.

_And this is my favorite brand... _He muttered, hoping George didn't hear him.

He looked up to find George glaring at him, hands on his hips.

"Well?"

Jerry paused at the kitchen counter. "It was the weirdest thing.."

"Okay..." George nodded.

"I had just come home from a show-you know the one at the Laugh Box?"

Again George nodded. "I know that place very well. I took Susan there once, remember? Oh boy, what a night that was!"

"WILL YOU FORGET ABOUT THAT?" Kramer yelled, startling both Jerry and George.

"What about Elaine?" Kramer asked.

"So anyway..." Jerry continued. "I had just come home and I couldn't wait to tell Elaine about getting that magazine interview."

"She was happy for you wasn't she?" George asked.

"Well, that's just it." Jerry said. "She seemed kind of distracted."

"Distracted? How?"

"Like something was wrong. So I raced over there, didn't even bother to change clothes..."

"Yeah, and?"  
"George, she was hysterical... a complete basket case."

"Why, what happened?" Kramer asked.

Jerry felt a tinge of hurt, remembering.

"Well, she keeps having these nightmares. I was going to leave after I calmed her down-."

"Nightmares? About what?"

"From being in prison." Jerry said. "She said they've happened almost every night."

"Wow.." George said. "So what happened next?"

"She insisted that I stay."

"In her _room_? You _animal_, you!" George said, smiling from ear to ear.

"No! I slept on the sofa!" Jerry yelled.

"Oh..." George responded, obviously disappointed by this news.

"That's _it_? You slept on the couch?" Kramer asked.

"Well, yeah, but..."

"What kind of story is _that_?" George asked.

Kramer and George rose from their seats and joined Jerry in the kitchen.

"Tell us, we're _dying_ here!" Kramer said.

"While I was over there, she had another nightmare. Thank God I was there because this one was worse than before."

"So what happened?" George asked.

"I had to go in there and console her." Jerry said.

George rubbed his hands together. "This is better than anything I could be watching on TV right now!"

"I think something's really wrong with her." Jerry said.

"There are a _lot_ of things_ really_ wrong with Elaine!" George said. "That's why we get along so well!"

His comment caused both himself and Kramer to burst into hysterical laughter.

"I'm being _serious_!" Jerry said. But his comment only made them laugh harder.

"I've got to get going." Kramer said. "Newman and I are working on a new project together. Top secret."

Jerry rolled his eyes. "I'll bet."

"Yeah, I'd better get going, too." George said. "I need to get over to the gym."

Jerry's jaw dropped. "The gym? But you _hate_ working out!"

"I know, but this is _brilliant_." George said, unable to hide his excitement. "See, I just go in there and pretend to workout."

Jerry shrugged. "You do that anyway. What's the big deal?"

"Here's the brilliant part." George said. "I scope out the place until I find a few beautiful women and then I fake a leg cramp. Once I cry out in pain, they fall all over me! I'm telling you, Jerry... It's _genius_!"

But Jerry wasn't listening. He couldn't stop thinking about Elaine.  
There had to be a way to help her.

If only he knew what it was...


	7. Chapter 7

(Meanwhile)

Elaine woke feeling as though she'd been hit by an 18-wheeler.

God, what had she done last night? Her head throbbed as she rolled over and opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight that streamed through the window.

Damn, she knew better than to drink on a work night. Hangovers were the worst.

But this wasn't a hangover.

And she hadn't been drinking.

Suddenly memories of last night came rushing back;

The nightmares, Jerry calling and then dropping everything to come over...

Staying with her all night where she felt safe in his arms.

Her heart raced when she turned to face him, but then slowed with disappointment when she saw that he was gone.

The phone rang, breaking into her thoughts.

"Hello?" She said weakly into the phone.

"Elaine! What a pleasure to hear your voice!"  
"Mr. Peterman?"

"Ah! So you do know my name!"

"Excuse me?"  
"Elaine, do you also remember that you have a job here at the J Peterman Catalog?"

Elaine's mouth went dry.

"Um... Yes. I am aware of that."

"Good! Good! Well, then I don't need to remind you of your start time, do I?"

"My-." She turned and looked at the clock, horrified when she noticed that she was now 45 minutes late.

"Mr-Mr. Peterman, I-I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well last night, and-."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ms. Benes. But if you expect to keep this job, then I expect you in this office in thirty minutes or less. Is that understood?"

The thought of going into work made Elaine's stomach churn. She'd barely had any sleep and no way would she be able to function.

"Um, Mr. Peterman, given my... um... situation... I think it would be better if I just took a sick day, so I'll just see you tom-."

"Sick day? Absolutely _not_! We have work to do! Now get in here immediately! The clock is ticking!"

"But Mr. Peter-."

The dial tone buzzed in Elaine's ear, bringing her headache to a full-on migraine.

With a groan she climbed out of bed and changed clothes, completely unprepared for the disasters that surely awaited her.

(Later that afternoon-Monk's)

"So when's the big interview?" George asked.

"You know, I'm getting kind of worried about that actually." Jerry said.

"Worried? Why?"  
"I haven't heard a thing from them! I'm starting to wonder if they changed their minds."

"Why don't you call them?"

"_Call _them? Are you kidding?" Jerry asked.

"What's the big deal?" Kramer asked.

"Kramer, I don't want to seem like I'm desperate or something." Jerry said.

"But you are, aren't you?" George said with a snort.

Jerry shrugged. "Yeah, but I... George? What is it?"

George stared straight ahead, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"Elaine?"

"What happened to _you_?" Kramer asked.

"Kramer!" Jerry said, appalled at his friend's tone.

"Well Jerry! Look at her! She's a mess!"

Reluctantly, Jerry turned around, and was shocked at the sight. Elaine stood there, looking very un-Elaine-like...

Her usually tailored (and adorable) clothes were at least two sizes too big, her hair was wild and tangled and it was evident that she hadn't slept well in days. Worst of all, her skin was incredibly pale.

Jerry couldn't help but wonder if Elaine was sick.

God he hoped not. That was the last thing she needed.

"Hi." He said when she approached him, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Rough night?" George asked, laughing when Kramer gave him a high-five.

"Cut it out, would ya?" Jerry said, suddenly ashamed that these two morons were his friends.

"I hate my life." Elaine groaned as she slid into the booth, burying her face in her hands.

"Trust me; your life is _much_ better than mine." George said. "Just _try_ living with my mother for more than five minutes. Your life will seem like a-."

"George..." Jerry said, giving his friend a warning look.

"What's wrong, Lainey?" Jerry asked, putting his hand on her back.

"Oh God, you wouldn't even believe it." Elaine groaned.

"Try us." George said, making no effort to hide his smile.

"All right. Well, I'm up all night, tossing and turning..."

Jerry couldn't help but notice the grateful look she gave him.

"Yeah? And?" George prompted.

"And I ended up oversleeping because the next thing I know, Peterman is calling me! I tried to take a sick day but he insisted that I come into the office!"

"Damn it, this is my fault." Jerry said. "I knew I should have called him for you."

Elaine smiled. "Thanks."

"So what happened?" Jerry asked.

"It was awful! I had a pounding headache all day, and I screwed everything up! And on top of that, I couldn't stop thinking about _her_! It's bad enough that I see her in my dreams, but now I see her when I'm awake, too! I wish she would just go away and leave me alone!"

"Who?" George asked.

To Jerry's surprise, Elaine shuddered. "I-I need to leave."

"What'd I say?" George asked.

"Forget about that." Jerry said. "It's just that-."  
He stopped suddenly when Elaine turned and headed for the door.

"Lainey, wait!" Jerry said, sliding out of the booth.

At George and Kramer's confused looks, Jerry smiled. "See you guys later."

"What? You're running after Elaine now?" George asked. "Jerry! She's a big girl! She can take care of herself!"

"When you find her, tell her that it's not a good idea to be seen in public like that! Kramer said.

When George began to laugh, Kramer added...

"Especially if she wants to get a date!"

Jerry walked out of the restaurant, ignoring his friends.

Morons...

Once on the sidewalk, Jerry frantically began looking for Elaine. When he didn't find her, he began to panic.

"Elaine!" he yelled as he ran down the sidewalk.

Oh God, she was probably an emotional wreck. He couldn't imagine her having to go into work in the state she was in.

Breathless, he stopped just a few feet from where she stood, staring into a store window.

Slowly he reached out and touched her shoulder, causing her to turn around and promptly collapse into his arms.

"Oh Jerry..." She said tearfully.

He stood there holding her, feeling more helpless than ever before.

"Please don't cry, Lainey." He said as he rubbed her back.

It was only then that he looked up to find George and Kramer watching them with concern.

"She'll be okay." Jerry said. "At least I hope so."

Elaine pulled out of Jerry's arms and brushed the tears from her face.

"God, I look terrible." She said, laughing nervously.

"Hey Elaine... Look... I-I'm sorry about that back there. About what I said." George said, pointing in the direction of Monk's.

Elaine smiled. "Wow, George... You do know how to apologize. I had no idea."

When Jerry began to laugh, George scoffed. "Fine. I'm just trying to be nice, but-."

Jerry put his arm around Elaine. "Yep. I think she's gonna be okay."

"Well, see you later." George said. "Come on Kramer."

"Giddyup!" Kramer said.

"What's with them?" Jerry asked when Kramer and George were gone.

"I-I'm sorry." Elaine said, catching Jerry off-guard.

"Elaine, don't. Please." Jerry said.

She held the bottom of her baggy sweater, cringing at the sight. "Oh my God, I can't believe I went out in public like this! Jerry, I'm hideous!"

Jerry smiled and looked her up and down.

"Well, I wouldn't say _hideous_, but-."

"Shut up!" she laughed shoving him playfully. "Who asked you?"

Jerry thought for a minute. "Come on."

She looked at him in surprise. "Jerry? What..."

He put his arm around her. "Just come on."

As they walked down the sidewalk, Jerry sighed when Elaine seemed to melt into his chest.

At that moment, he was definitely a happy guy. He just wished he could make Elaine happy as well.


	8. Chapter 8

"Thanks for walking me home." Elaine said as she and Jerry arrived at her door. To her surprise, he waited patiently as she took out her keys and opened the lock.

They stepped inside and she turned to him, feeling a strange sense of nervousness.

"T-Thank you." She said again.

"Get your stuff together." He said.

She looked at him blankly. "Wh-what?"  
"You shouldn't need much. It's just for one night. Then again, you are a woman... so..."  
"Jerry, what are you talking about?"

"You know, change of clothes, pajamas..."  
"Pajamas? Change of clothes? Jerry..."

"You shouldn't be alone tonight."  
Her heart warmed at his concern, and she thought she might cry.

"Oh no. I'll be fine. I-I just need to get some sleep."  
"Exactly. Which is why you're staying at my place."

"Jerry, no. I can't."  
"Why not?"

"W-well..." She stammered. "What about Mr. Peterman?"  
"Don't worry about Peterman. I'll take care of him."

"B-but..."

"Just get your stuff." He said with a smile.

"Oh... Okay. Be back in a minute."

"Sure, take your time."

Elaine walked to her bedroom, pausing at the door. She watched as Jerry walked around her living room, studying the pictures that she knew he'd seen a hundred times over. Then he sat down on her sofa and turned on the television.

The sight made her smile.

It was almost as though he belonged there.

Quickly she shoved the thought from her mind.

As she pulled an overnight bag from the closet, her mind drifted back to when they'd gone to Florida to stay with his parents.

What a disaster that had turned out to be.

It was one of the best times of her life.

Absentmindedly, she rummaged through her dresser and pulled out the essentials, wondering why she was so nervous. It wasn't like they hadn't spent the night together. This wasn't a date and they certainly weren't going to do "_this_ or _that._"

The memory made her smile.

"Okay, I'm ready." She said minutes later as she entered the living room.

"Got everything?" Jerry asked.

"Um... yeah. I'm good." Elaine said, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

"Okay, then. Ready to go?" Jerry asked.

"Mmmm Hmmm..." Elaine said.

(Minutes later)

"Here we are." Jerry said, opening the door of Apartment 5A for her.

"Thanks."

"Just make yourself at home. Not that you don't anyway." Jerry said with a smile.

"Do you want anything?" Elaine called to him, immediately heading for the fridge.

"Yeah, come to think of it. Snapple Diet Iced Tea."

Elaine cringed. "_Diet_? Since when do you drink those?"

"Well, honestly, I don't. I grabbed the wrong case by mistake."

Elaine laughed. "Well, you can always get Kramer to sell them for you. Get your money back."

"That's a good idea, actually. Kramer has this crazy idea of setting up a wholesale warehouse. In his apartment mind you. Yeah, that's sure to be a big hit."

Elaine laughed so hard that her stomach muscles hurt.

"It's nice to hear you laughing." Jerry said in a rare serious tone.

Elaine grabbed the two Snapple's and handed one to Jerry. "You like this flavor, don't you?"

Jerry looked at the label. "Mmmm Mmm... Kiwi Strawberry. My favorite."

"So how was it that you managed to get these in regular and yours in Diet by mistake? And how did you remember that these are my favorite?"

To her surprise, his face reddened and he looked away.

"Oh..." she said, understanding his silent answer.

"Y-you know, I should probably check my messages." Jerry said, quickly changing the subject.

"Sure."

"Why don't you... Just watch TV. This'll just take a second."

Elaine took off her shoes and flopped onto the couch, flipping through the channels with the remote.

Jerry picked up the phone and began to dial before listening intently.

"God... _Finally_!" He said with slight irritation.

No longer interested in the television, Elaine turned around and watched him in amusement as he listened to his messages.

"Good news?" She asked when he hung up the phone.

"I'm not sure. I have to call them back."

"Who?"

"The guy at the magazine."

"You mean the one you have the interview for?"

"Yeah. They tell me that I landed the interview but then..." Jerry waved his arms like an umpire calling a player out at the plate. "Nothing!"

Elaine laughed. "God, don't you just hate that?"

"Yes...I...do..." Jerry said, enunciating each word.

He picked up the phone again and began dialing, waiting patiently until it was answered.

"This is Jerry Seinfeld.I'm calling for Ron Harrison? Yes, I'm calling about the magazine interview. I'm really looking foreword to it because... Letter? What letter? Oh... I see. Well... Can I speak to him, please? When will he be back? Damn, I have shows lined up that week. Okay, well Thanks anyway."

He hung up the phone, his face filled with disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Elaine asked as he sat down next to her.

Jerry sighed. "The editor decided to call an emergency meeting out of town, so the interview has been put off indefinitely. Apparently I never got the letter they sent."

"Well they can't postpone it forever." Elaine said.  
"Elaine, don't you see what this means? It's a smoke-screen! They'll find some young up-and-coming comedian in a tiny little club and throw me out like yesterday's newspaper!"

"But you're a _hell _of a lot better than those new jerks! I've seen them on stage and they are..._ really_ bad." Elaine said.

Jerry smiled at the compliment.

Suddenly the phone rang and Jerry immediately picked it up. "Yes, this is Jerry Seinfeld. Oh, Hello, Mr. Harrison. No, I never got the letter. Disappointed? Well, frankly yes. I was really looking foreword to... Oh..."  
There was a slight pause.

"Really? Well that would be great. When?"

Elaine saw him glance at her.

"Oh... Yeah. That might be a problem."

At her puzzled look, Jerry turned away. "I'm sorry, too. Goodbye."

"Damn..." he muttered as he returned the phone to the base.

"What happened?" Elaine asked.

"Nothing. It's no big deal." Jerry said.

Suddenly Elaine couldn't help but think that she was the source of the disappointment.

She stood and grabbed her bag from the floor. "You know... Maybe I should just go-."

Jerry rushed toward her and put his hands on her shoulder. "No! I-I mean... I don't want you to be alone. Especially at night."

Elaine smiled at his concern.

A knock on the door startled them.

"God, what now?" Jerry groaned.

"Hellooooo Newman."

"Hello, Jerry. Special delivery." Newman said in that hideously cheerful tone.

"What in the hell is this?" Jerry asked, grabbing the stack of envelopes in Newman's hand.

"Toodle-loo!" Newman said, giving Jerry his evil laugh.

"Hey wait a minute, Fat Man!" Jerry yelled to Newman who was already well into the hallway.

"This is mail I've been waiting on for weeks! What were you doing with it?"

Newman smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Jerry shuffled through the mail. "This is from Mr. Harrison! Damn! How could you keep this from me? Don't you know that's stealing?"

"Imagine that!" Newman laughed. "

Jerry slammed the door, startling Elaine. "Damn that little pea brain!"

The door opened again and Kramer burst into Jerry's apartment.

"Hey Jer-."

"Is Newman home? Because I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!" Jerry yelled. "And after that, I'm calling the cops!"

"Jerry! You can't turn Newman in!" Kramer said worriedly. "He'll lose his job!"

Jerry scoffed. "Well he deserves it!"

Kramer held out his hand and began stuttering nonsense. "Wait! I'll talk to him, okay? I'll do it right now!"

"Well I'm going with you!" Jerry said storming past his friend. "By the time I'm finished with Newman, he's gonna wish he'd gone out with yesterday's mail!"

Elaine laughed in spite of herself.

_Newman was really in for it now._


	9. Chapter 9

"Your Honor, by violating the Good Samaritan Law, these four citizens disgraced the good name of Latham, Massachusetts and I feel that it's only fair that they receive the most severe punishment possible!"

Elaine rolled her eyes at the terribly dressed prosecutor. Geez, where'd he get his clothes? At the lawyer hand-me-down store?

"Very well." The judge said.

The four friends glanced at each other; the fear evident on their faces.

"Will the defendants please rise?"

Elaine's knees felt like jelly as she rose from the hard wooden chair.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"  
"We have your honor."

Watching the judge open the verdict was like waiting for a death sentence.

"Kids, I'm going to try something a little different." The judge said. "Although you all acted as one, I'm going to sentence you each separately.

Elaine blinked.

"What?"

"That's right, Ms. Benes. The punishment is going to fit the crime." The judge said.

"Jerry Seinfeld, will you please rise?"

Jerry rose slowly from the chair and glanced at Elaine. At that moment, she felt a rush of sympathy for him. She reached for his hand, but he kept them firmly in front of him, staring straight ahead at the judge.

"Mr. Seinfeld, I hereby sentence you to one day in jail with time off for good behavior."

Jerry smiled in relief, ignoring Elaine's appalled look. "Thank you, your honor. I'll never forget this."

"Well, just see that you don't. I'm doing you a favor, Seinfeld." Then he chuckled. "If it weren't for that comment you made about the Latham car dealership... Well, that was pretty darn funny. I laughed so hard my sides were hurting!"

"Glad you're amused." George muttered, rolling his eyes. "What about me?"

"Costanza, you were in on this, too."

George lowered his head in shame. "I know! God knows I'm guilty! Please! Forgive me!" Dramatically he dropped to his knees, lifting up his hands to the heavens.

"George what in the hell are you doing?" Jerry sneered.  
"It's called sympathy, Jerry... Sympathy" George said with a wink.

"Costanza, because you're probably smarter than you look..."

George blushed and returned to his standing position. "Thank you, your honor."

"... I'm sentencing you to one week's probation."

"Probation, sir?"

"On the condition that you will honor and respect your parents."

Horror filled George's face and he once again dropped to his knees. "No! Not that! Anything but that!"

Ignoring him, the judge turned his attention to Kramer.

"Cosmo Kramer..."

Kramer smiled proudly and stood at attention.

"You are an example for all to follow."

While George, Elaine and Jerry glanced at him in disbelief, Kramer looked around the room, nodding. "Well, thank you... um... your honor."

"Cosmo Kramer, I sentence you to..." The judge looked at his notes and then tossed them onto the desk in

frustration. "Oh hell, I can't do this. You're free to go."

Kramer's smile widened and he punched the air with his fist.

"Ohhhhh YEAH!"

"What about me?" Elaine asked.

The judge smirked.

"Ah... Ms. Benes. You of all people should know that it's not very lady-like to stand there and ridicule someone during a traumatic experience."

"B-but everyone else did it!" Elaine said.

"You're a woman! You're supposed to act like one!"  
"Well, I'm sorry your honor. It won't happen again." Elaine said, giving him a plastered on smile.

"Yes... well... You're damn right it won't happen again!" The judge boomed.

"W-what?"  
"Ms. Benes, I hereby sentence you to one full year in the Latham County Jail."  
"A YEAR? But we all did the same thing! Why do I-."

"Enough, Ms. Benes! Take her away, Warden Smith."

Suddenly, an unattractive, stern-looking woman with a horrible smile appeared before Elaine, holding a pair of handcuffs.

Elaine took two steps backwards, almost stumbling over an officer in the process.

"Let's go, Benes!" The warden said with another laugh.

"C-can't we talk about this?"

"You can talk about it all you want... with your cell mates!" The warden said, causing the entire courtroom to erupt in laughter.

Elaine looked around, horrified to find that even Jerry, George and Kramer were laughing.

"This isn't funny! Aren't you going to help me? I thought we were friends!"

When the cold steel handcuff clicked around Elaine's wrists, she cringed. "You know, these are a little too tight. Would you mind loosening...?"

"Come on Benes!" the warden yelled.

Elaine looked tearfully at her friends. "B-but can't I say goodbye first?"

The warden looked at the judge who nodded. "Make it quick!"

Elaine walked over to Jerry and tried to hug him, but the handcuffs made it impossible. "Jerry, I lo-."

"Bye, Elaine." He said with a wink. "See ya."

Elaine blinked.

_What in the hell was that_?

"George?"

"Bye Elaine." George said, barely making eye contact.

"Kramer?"

"Giddyup!" was the lanky man's response.

She watched in disbelief as her three friends walked out of the courtroom, giving high fives to people in the courtroom.

"Wait! But what about me? Aren't you going to help me? Wait! Please..."


	10. Chapter 10

"Let go of me! I want to go home! Please! Let go!"

Miraculously the handcuffs disappeared, replaced by a hand on her wrist. Then to her horror, she felt someone shaking her.

"NO! Please! Let go of me!"  
"Elaine! Wake up!"  
When the shaking stopped, Elaine opened her eyes to find George staring at her in bewilderment.

And suddenly she realized what had happened.

_Not again..._

Without warning, a sob escaped and she threw her arms around George, once again in tears.

Hesitantly his arms went around her. "I-It's okay, Elaine. Really."

Seconds later the door opened and Jerry burst into the apartment in a very Kramer-like fashion.  
"What in the hell is going on in here? What's all that screaming?"

George let go of Elaine and shrugged. When Elaine turned to face Jerry, he caught a glimpse of her tear-streaked face.

"Oh God..."

He slammed the door and raced over to the couch. "What happened?"

George stood, and held out his hands. "I-I have no idea. I came in to raid your refrigerator and Elaine here was moving all around on the sofa. I-I tried to calm her down, but I think I made it worse. When I grabbed her arm, she screamed like I was Anthony Quinn."

Jerry blinked in confusion. "Anthony Quinn?"

"Yeah, you know... In that... shower movie... What's it called? _Psychotic_?"

Jerry rolled his eyes. "You mean Anthony _Perkins_ and the movie is called _Psycho_."

"Oh yeah..." George said. "Man, that film was a killer! I wouldn't shower for a month after seeing that."

"_Anthony Quinn..."_ Jerry muttered. He sat down on the sofa next to Elaine who was wrapped in the plaid throw he had laid over the back of the sofa, and put his arm around her.

Almost instantly, she put her head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Elaine shook her head as a tear streamed down her cheek. "No."

Jerry sighed. "Damn! I should have never left you alone. I just got so worked up about Newman. _Newman_!"

"Newman? What's he done now?" George asked.

"What _hasn't_ he done?"

"Good point." George said.

Jerry rose and began pacing the room.

"He conveniently forgot to give me my mail, which included a letter for the magazine editor about the interview!"

"That jackass!" George said.

"Exactly! And I-." Jerry turned to look at Elaine who was still wrapped in the blanket, her knees to her chin.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile.

Jerry motioned for George to follow him into the hallway, where Elaine couldn't see them.

"What's with her?" George asked.

"I have a problem." Jerry said.

George scoffed. "Yeah, don't we all?"

"No, I mean with Elaine."

"Why? What's she done?"

"She hasn't _done_ anything. It's what I want to do for her." Jerry said.

A smile wider than Texas spread across George's face, causing Jerry to wince. Leave it to George to make something out of nothing.

"All right! Now you're talking!" George said anxiously. "That'll get her mind off of-."

"Shhhh!" Jerry said. "Can you get your mind out of the gutter for five minutes?"

George cast his eyes downward. "No...?"

"Look, it's about this magazine interview. The guy wants me to come to Seattle instead of doing it over the phone."

"Ugh! You couldn't pay me to go to Seattle!" George said, as though the word _Seattle_ couldn't leave his mouth fast enough.

"Why? What's wrong with Seattle?" Jerry asked.

"All they do there is drink coffee and walk around in the rain! Is that any way to go through life?"

Jerry sighed and shook his head in frustration. "Why did I even bother trying to ask your opinion on this?"

"My opinion on what?"

Jerry cringed, knowing that there was no way out of this.

"Well, I was thinking about asking Elaine to come with me."

"You and Elaine alone in Seattle? You _maniac_, you!" George said, unable to control his laughter.

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" Jerry hissed. "She's right there on the sofa!"

"So are you gonna do it?"

"I don't know. Do you think I should?"

George shrugged. "What do I know?"

Jerry smiled. "Not much."

"Ain't that the truth?" George said, shaking his head.

Jerry peered around the wall at Elaine, who was laughing at something on his television. At that moment, he made up his mind.

Now all he had to do was find the right time to ask her to come with him.

And pray that she said _yes_.


	11. Chapter 11

(The next morning)

Jerry cringed when he saw the time on his alarm clock.  
"Damn... I never sleep this late!" He groaned and climbed out of bed, pulling on a New York Mets t-shirt.

"Good morning." Elaine said cheerfully when Jerry walked into the kitchen.

"Hey. What are you doing?"  
She smiled at him. "I thought you might like some breakfast. Care to join me in a bowl of cereal?"

He thought for a moment, and then grinned. "Well, I'd love to but I don't think we would fit."  
Elaine laughed. "God I walked right into that one, didn't I?"  
"You sure did." Jerry said, helping himself to a bowl of cornflakes. "You should have known that would happen."

Elaine looked at her watch and tilted her head back in frustration. "Oh God, I reeeaaalllly don't want to have to deal with Peterman this morning. Unfortunately I don't have a choice."

"Wait..." Jerry said. He put down his spoon and rose from the table. "I said I would take care of Peterman and I will."

"Jerry? What are you talking about?"  
"You trust me, right?"

Elaine smirked. "No, actually."  
"Good. I was worried there for a minute." Jerry said, smiling when Elaine laughed. "I'll be right back."

Minutes later he returned. "Well, you won't have to worry about work for a few days, that's for sure."

Elaine's eyes widened. "Jerry! I still have my job, don't I?"

"I thought you trusted me!" Jerry said.

Elaine's eyes narrowed. "Didn't we just have this conversation?"

"I told him you were sick. Is that okay?"

Elaine smiled. "Oh... Well, thanks."

"No problem." Jerry said.

There was a brief silence, giving Jerry a chance to make the next move.

"Um, listen... Elaine..."

Just then Kramer burst through the door. "Jerry! You'll never guess... Oh, Hey Elaine."  
"Hey Cosmo." Jerry said.

"Having breakfast are you?" Kramer asked.

Jerry looked at the empty bowls and the boxes of cereal that sat on the table. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You're having breakfast _together_?" Kramer asked.

"Do you see anyone else here?" Jerry asked, gesturing with his arms around the room.

Kramer grinned slyly and raised his eyebrows up and down. "Oh yeah..."

"What do you want, Kramer?" Jerry asked irritably, avoiding eye contact with Elaine.

"You've gotta come and see this. It's brilliant. I'm telling you!" Kramer said.

"Can't it wait?" Jerry asked.

"As a matter of fact, _no_." Jerry said. "I was just in the middle of something." He nodded slightly toward Elaine.

"Oh... I see." Kramer said; the sly grin returning. "Ooh la la!"

Jerry's face reddened and he grabbed his friend, pushing him out of the door. "Goodbye Cosmo."

When Kramer was in the hallway, Jerry closed the door and locked it. "I don't know why I let him barge in here."

Jerry's chest felt tight as he returned to his bowl of cereal.

"You were going to ask me something?" Elaine asked.

Jerry's mouth went dry and he gulped down his orange juice. "Yeah, listen... About this interview..."

Elaine stared at him. "Yeah?"

"Well... they don't want me to do a phone interview after all."  
Elaine's smile disappeared. "Oh Jerry, I'm sorry. I know how much you were looking foreword to it."

Jerry rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

_Come on Seinfeld, you can do this..._

"I'm still going to do the interview, but they want me to come to Seattle. Tomorrow night."

"Oh..."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing... It's just..."

"What? Is that a problem?"

"N-No... I'll be all right."

Jerry had the strangest feeling that she was disappointed.

"Well, I was wondering... This interview shouldn't take very long and... um... would you like to come with me?"

He braced himself for rejection.

"Y-you want me to come with you? To Seattle?"

Jerry shrugged. "Only if you want to."

When she didn't answer, he sighed and took their empty bowls to the kitchen sink.

"Well it was just an idea..."  
He looked at her, surprised when her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Slowly she walked over to him.

"Jerry, are you serious?"  
"Yeah, but only-."

"GET OUT!" She yelled playfully pushing his chest. He lost his balance and fell against her in a bear hug.  
Jerry laughed nervously and pulled away. "I guess that means yes?"

Elaine smiled and threw her arms around him. "Thank you..."

Jerry wasn't sure if he was imagining the way that Elaine eased herself against his body, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining.

Reluctantly his arms slid away from her body. "Well I guess you should start packing."

He watched her with amusement as she ran around his apartment, packing her belongings in record speed.

"Well... I'll see you later?" she asked, blushing like a school girl.  
"I'll call you and give you the details." Jerry said, trying like hell to resist the urge to kiss her.

But before he had the chance to say any more, she was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

The Next Day (JFK Airport)

"God I hate going through security!" Elaine groaned as they stood in the long line. "They always look at me like I'm some kind of psycho or something."

Like clockwork, she pointed to Jerry's open mouth and smiled. "Not a word, Seinfeld."

"I-I wasn't going to say anything." Jerry said, unable to hide his smile.

"Next!" The TSA agent yelled.

"Here we go..." Jerry muttered.

They hoisted their luggage onto the conveyor belt and removed their jackets and keys.

Once past the metal detector, Jerry watched as their belongings passed through the scanner.

"See, now this is what I don't get..." He pointed to the man who was intently studying the monitor. "What in the hell is he looking for? Can you see anything except for some blurry images? I sure can't."

Once they were past the security gates, Elaine sighed with relief.

"Thank God that's over. Going through airport security is worse than having a root canal."

"Yeah, but at least you don't have to go through a metal detector during a root canal." Jerry quipped.

"Oh man... I just want to get on the plane and sleep." Elaine said.

"Good luck with that." Jerry said.

"Why? What do you mean?" Elaine asked worriedly.

Jerry grinned. "Well, the pilot's gonna want to tell everyone what's happening '_We're going over this... We're going over that._..' I mean, how do you suppose he would feel if I knocked on the cockpit door and said "_I'm having the peanuts now_!"

Elaine laughed out loud, ignoring the stares of travelers around them.

"_Flight 256 to Seattle now boarding at Gate 16..."_

"Well, that's us." Jerry said, following Elaine to the gate. He couldn't be sure but the doorway seemed to shrink as they made their way onto the plane.

Who the heck designed these doors? The munchkins from _The Wizard of Oz_?

"Okay, here we are." He said, gesturing to the seat in the second row.

Elaine's eyes widened. "First Class?"

Jerry shrugged. "Well, I still feel bad about making you fly coach the last time, so..."

"God... Don't remind me, please!" Then she looked at him, amazed. "I can't believe you remember that! It was so long ago."

He smiled, watching her sink into the plush leather seat. "God, this is heavenly." She sighed.

Within minutes, the plane took off, heading for Seattle.

"Blanket and pillow?" The flight attendant asked.

"Two please." Jerry said, handing one set to Elaine.

"It's a long flight. Why don't you get some rest?" Gently he slipped the pillow behind her head, and covered her with the blanket.

"Thanks." She snuggled into the seat, falling asleep almost instantly.

He smiled, watching her sleep so soundly. On the other side of the tiny window, the clouds floated by.

With a sigh, he looked at his watch dismayed to find that it had only been an hour since they had taken off.

A soft moan caught his attention and he turned to find Elaine resting her head on his shoulder.

"Elaine, are you okay?" He whispered.

"Mmmm..." She sighed...

He leaned his head against hers, slowly drifting off to sleep...

_...Bump... bump... bump..._

What in the hell was that?

Jerry's eyes flew open, suddenly aware of the pilot on the intercom announcing that they were encountering some turbulence

_Bump... bump..._

There it was again...

He'd flown countless times before, but he still became apprehensive whenever the flight wasn't smooth. As the plane shook, he couldn't help but be reminded of their last trip; the disastrous trip to Latham, Massachusetts.

Damn... if they hadn't been so stupid, Elaine wouldn't be going through such a traumatic time right now.

And even though it was ridiculous, Jerry blamed himself.

He closed his eyes, and tried to sleep, doing his best to ignore the swaying of the plane. He had to admit, this was getting _really _annoying.

He'd had smoother rides on the subway.

_Bump... Bump... Bump..._

A collective gasp came from First Class as the plane seemed to drop a few feet. Jerry had to admit that he was scared as well. His heart beat rapidly and he gripped the armrests tightly, while giving a silent prayer.

"No... Nooo... Please..."

The voice was so soft, he thought he imagined it. But then he felt her hand on his arm.

Elaine.

God, he couldn't believe that he had forgotten about her...

"Lainey? It's me, Jerry..."

She shook her head rapidly and her breath was staggered. "No... No... Please..."

When the plane dipped slightly, her eyes flew open and she screamed, causing others on board to do the same.

"I-I'm sorry. She's a little stressed out." Jerry explained.

He put his arm around her, causing her to burst into tears. Feeling helpless once more, he pulled her close to him.

"It's okay, it's just some turbulence. It's over now... Everything's all right."

"Th-the prison... It was so c-cold..."

Damn...

She'd been having another nightmare.

He pulled the blanket off of his shoulders and wrapped it around her, alarmed at the way she was shivering.

"Th-thank you." She whispered, snuggling into his chest.

When she'd finally gone back to sleep, he looked out the window, relieved as he realized they were flying over the Seattle skyline.

_You'll be okay soon, Lainey. I promise..._.


	13. Chapter 13

_"Welcome to SeaTac ... Seattle Tacoma International Airport..."_

"SeaTac? Sounds like some kind of glue that sailors use!" Jerry quipped, causing Elaine to collapse in laughter in his arms.

As they made their way to Ground Transportation, Elaine took in her surroundings.

The SeaTac airport was much smaller than JFK, and posters advertising Seattle's attractions were scattered throughout the terminal; Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, The Museum of Flight.

One poster caught her attention and she walked over to take a closer look;

_KACL 780AM... The Dr. Frasier Crane show, weekdays from 2-5pm. _

_Let psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane help you with life's problems... big and small..._

A psychiatrist with a radio show?

Interesting...

In the picture, he was smiling happily but she couldn't help but wonder why in the world he was posing with a Jack Russell Terrier.

There's no telling how many sarcastic comments Jerry could come up with about that...

When they reached their destination, the doors slid open and they walked across the sky bridge to the parking lot.

Minutes later their transportation arrived.

"Your chauffer, Madam." Jerry said with a bow.

"A limousine? Are you kidding me?" Elaine gasped.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Benes." The chauffer said.

"H-hello." She said nervously.

They climbed into the limo and within minutes they were heading down Interstate 405 en route to downtown Seattle.

"So where are we staying?" Elaine asked excitedly.

"You'll find out." Jerry said.

Elaine couldn't resist the urge to check out each and every area of the luxurious interior. "Jerry! There's even a television in here!"

He leaned over and turned it on. "I think it's time for a little Bugs Bunny, don't you?"

He flipped through the channels until the familiar Warner Brothers logo appeared on the screen, accompanied by the catchy theme song.

She sat back against the leather interior as she and Jerry watched one cartoon after another, laughing hysterically. She wondered why she'd never found them this funny as a kid.

Perhaps it was the company she was with...

"Here we are, Mr. Seinfeld." The chauffer said.

"Thank you." Jerry said, handing the man the biggest tip Elaine had ever seen.

_Wow... I'm in the wrong profession..._

When the door was opened, Elaine stepped out, mesmerized at the sight before her.

"Oh my God..."

She recognized the hotel instantly, but the pictures she'd seen on TV and in magazines didn't do it justice...

The brick façade and gold trim building was absolutely stunning. No wonder this hotel had received so much publicity.

How could Jerry have possibly known that she'd wanted to stay here ever since she was a little girl?

Dizzily she followed Jerry and the chauffer to the hotel entrance where they were greeted by the bell attendant.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Seinfeld; Ms. Benes. Welcome to the Rochester."

"How'd he know my name?" Elaine whispered, smiling when Jerry winked at her.

When they entered the lobby, Elaine's breath caught in her throat;

Flowers of every color imaginable were placed throughout the expansive lobby. Underneath were flawless marble floors in rich earth tones and shades of blue. She was almost afraid to walk on them for fear of scratching them with her Bottecelli shoes.

"You coming, Lainey?"

Jerry's voice brought her back to the present. "Oh... Yeah. Sorry."

But the truth was that she could have stayed in that lobby all night.

They stepped into the elevator within seconds they were whisked to the 22nd floor. The doors opened to reveal a beautifully carpeted hallway.

"Right this way, Mr. Seinfeld." The bell attendant said.

Elaine's heartbeat quickened as she followed Jerry and the bell attendant down the long hallway and turned the corner, stopping in front of room 2216.

When the bell attendant attempted to slide the key into the lock, Jerry handed him a large tip. "Allow me."

"Certainly, Sir." The bell attendant said, eyeing the cash with a huge smile on his face.

When they were alone, Jerry grinned at Elaine. "Your sleeping quarters, Ms. Benes."

Slowly he inserted the key into the slot, and then opened the door dramatically.

Elaine's eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the room.

It was enormous... at least twice the size of her apartment in New York City.

"Jerry..."

Jerry glanced around the room, nodding in approval. "Wow, this is really impressive."

He turned to her. "So do you like it?"

Overcome with emotion she threw her arms around him.

"Oh God, yes! I-I mean... I love it."

She gazed into his eyes, fighting the unexpected urge to kiss him. But then her shyness returned and she reluctantly let go of him.

As he unloaded their luggage from the luggage cart, she couldn't resist walking around the expansive room; taking in the scenery.

In one corner of the room sat a plush blue chair that a person could surely get lost in. Pictures of Seattle and Washington State filled the walls and in between, the most gorgeous floral arrangements she could imagine.

And in the bedroom were two of the biggest beds she'd ever seen.

Suddenly she looked up. "Oh my God, Jerry!"

Startled, he dropped the suitcase at his feet and hurriedly crossed the room.

"Lainey, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Look at this view!" She exclaimed, not realizing that she had caused him alarm. Through the large floor to ceiling window, the world famous Space Needle stood, framed by Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains.

She could feel his presence behind her as she stared out the window, captivated by the scenery.

"It certainly is beautiful." Jerry said.

She turned to him, wanting to say something. What, she wasn't exactly sure, but _thank you_ just didn't seem like enough.

Before she could form the words in her mind, Jerry looked at his watch.

"I'd better get going if I'm going to make that appointment. It shouldn't take more than a few hours."

"I'll be fine." Elaine said, suddenly wishing he could stay.

"So are you going to check out the sights? Pike Place Market is nice and they have much better produce than the fruit store where Kramer buys his mango's."

"Elaine laughed. "Actually I think I'll just take a nap."

"That's a good idea." Jerry said. "When I get back, we can grab some dinner; check out the Emerald City. Speaking of that, why do they call this the Emerald City? I haven't seen one emerald since we've been here, much less any munchkins."

"You'd better get going." Elaine said, trying to stop laughing.

"I'll see you later?"

"Yep, I'll be here."

"Well if you need me, just call." Jerry said, holding up his cell phone.

Elaine took his hand in hers.

"Thank you."

"Have fun." Jerry said, grabbing his coat and wallet.

"Good luck." She called to him as he closed the door.

But she knew he didn't need it. Because she was the lucky one.


	14. Chapter 14

Elaine sighed contently as she soaked in the swimming pool-sized bathtub. Mounds of bubbles floated around her and the heavenly scent of lilac wafted through the air.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the small terrycloth pillow that was attached to the tub with suction cups.

Whoever had the idea of designing a pillow for a bathtub was a genius. She simply had to have one of these for her apartment.

Then again, maybe not.

Kramer was sure to find out and he was always so disappointed when he realized that he missed out on being the next great inventor.

She laughed and shook her head in disbelief, remembering one of his crazy schemes.

_"Make your own merchandise..."_

When the water had turned cold and the bubbles had long since disappeared, she held out her hands and examined her wrinkled fingers; a sure sign of being in the tub too long.

The sad thing is that if these birthdays of hers didn't stop coming, those wrinkles were going to be a permanent fixture.

She climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in the enormous towel that hung on the rack. The soft terrycloth towel was so large that amazingly it fit around her twice.

_Wow, those Pilates classes really paid off._

She couldn't resist admiring herself in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked damned good for a woman her age.

Hello, Beautiful..." She breathed.

Crazily she waited for a response, but of course none came.

With a sigh, she changed into a pair of well-worn sweats and a faded Pendant Publishing T-shirt, and then slipped on the incredibly comfortable velour robe and matching slippers.

Back in the bedroom, she gazed longingly at the sight of the huge beds that sat side by side against the wall. The thought of crawling beneath the thick down comforter made her knees weak.

Jerry must have paid a fortune for this place. There was no way you could get a room like this on a Triple A discount.

Another thing she could never repay him for.

Without even bothering to take off her robe, she padded over to the bed, took off her slippers and snuggled beneath the warm comforter until she drifted off into a deep sleep.

"Hey Benes! Where do you think you're going?"

Elaine didn't have to turn around to see who was speaking to her. She'd know that gruff voice anywhere. They'd only shared the same cell for months on end.

As she turned to walk away, she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"HEY! I asked you a question!"

The weight of the huge hand on her shoulder felt like a rock.

Yet another bruise that would take forever to go away.

So much for swimsuit season.

Cringing, Elaine turned around and her eyes widened at the sight.

"Joe Devola?"

The smile he gave her would have scared Warden Smith.

Her heart pounded wildly beneath her chest.

Now she knew how George felt when he thought he was having a heart attack. Was it supposed to hurt this much?

"J-Joe Devola?" She asked again.

He gave her a horrifying grin. "That's right, Elaine. It's me!"

"B-but how did you change your voice so fast? And what are you doing here?"

When he moved toward her, she tried to scream, but no sound came out.

This was the women's prison. How in the hell did he get in here?

Fear raced through her and her throat was so tight that she could hardly breathe.

Oh God, she'd give anything if Jerry, George or Kramer were here right now.

P-Please! Leave me alone! WARDEN SMITH!" She managed to yell at the top of her lungs.

She looked around, terrified when no one responded.

So much for all those jokes Jerry had made about the yard being so great.

"All right Benes. Let's finish this!" Devola sneered.

Elaine shut her eyes, but she could still feel his fingertips just inches from her throat.

"JERRY!"

With a gasp, Elaine bolted upright in bed, feeling more afraid than she'd ever felt in her life.

"JERRY!" She yelled again.

But no one answered.

She reached for the phone but then pulled her hand away, suddenly aware of her surroundings.

Where was she? And where was Jerry?

Then she remembered.

She was in Seattle-in an incredibly luxurious hotel room where the scariest thing was the price of the items in the hotel mini bar.

And Jerry was at his interview.

Her hands still trembling, she adjusted her pillow, determined to go back to sleep.

But who was she kidding?  
She'd never be able to go back to sleep.

Not as long as these nightmares continued.

Clutching the pillow to her chest, she buried her face in it and began to sob.

"Oh Jerry..."

_"THIS IS IT, SEATTLE! YOUR LAST CHANCE AT THIS PRICE..."_

The blaring voice startled her, increasing her heart beat. Slowly she turned her head toward the noise.

Damn... The clock radio.

She reached over and turned down the sound, trying to calm herself.

As though by fate, soft music began to play, followed by a man's voice.

"_Welcome back to the Dr. Frasier Crane show on KACL 780AM, Seattle._

_I'm Dr. Frasier Crane, and... well... this is my show."_

The voice was soothing. Almost... familiar.

But that was impossible.

Then she remembered; Dr. Frasier Crane. The radio show.

Instantly the image of the doctor and his Jack Russell Terrier filled her mind.

The poster at the airport.

His voice was so gentle that for a second, she thought she was still dreaming.

"_And here's our next caller."_ He was saying.

She clutched the pillow tighter, only half listening while the caller poured their heart out to the kind doctor.

God, she wished she had someone to talk to.

Someone who would understand.

_Like Jerry..._

She glanced at the clock radio and her eyes filled with tears once more when she saw the time. It could be hours before he came back.

Choking back a sob, she rose from the bed and went to the large window.

Seattle looked so peaceful...

"_Please don't despair, Martha."_ A voice was saying.

Curious, she returned to the bedroom and listened to the kind doctor's advice.

"_I understand how you're feeling. Sometimes in life, we face challenges that seem impossible, but they're not. I know you want to reconcile with your brother. Well, I have a brother and we may not always see eye to eye... Oh shut up, Roz! _

_Ahem... As I was about to say, I love my brother Niles dearly and I simply can't imagine life without him. He's helped me through more troublesome times than he realizes. So... Niles Crane, I hope you're listening."_

Elaine smiled through her tears.

It must be wonderful to be that close to someone.

Instead, she was alone.

"_So... If there's anything on your mind, I'll be listening. Please call us at area code 206..."_

When a commercial break began, Elaine picked up the phone and began to dial...


	15. Chapter 15

**KACL 780AM**

Well, that was smooth." Roz Doyle said from the booth.

Confused, Frasier looked up. "What? What'd I say?"

"Honestly, Frasier... Telling that poor woman to get a dog to replace her dead husband?"

"Oh Roz, losing a loved one is traumatic and pets can be a great source of comfort in a person's time of distress."

"Well I'm sure your late mother would be happy to know that she's been replaced by a Jack Russell Terrier."

"I resent that!"

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"N-Oh all right. Yes. But she loved dogs!" Frasier said.

Roz scoffed. "So does your brilliant theory work for breakups, too?"

Frasier put his hand on his chin, deep in thought. "Yes, well I suppose after a breakup, a pet could certainly provide a sense of comfort and companionship."

"Ahh... So that explains why I caught you crying while watching _Rin Tin Tin_."

"I most certainly never-."

"Oh look! A call!" Roz exclaimed.

Frasier sighed. "Thank God..."

Casually he picked up the microphone.

"Thank you for calling the Dr. Frasier Crane Show. Dr. Crane speaking."

But there was only silence.

"Hello? Caller, are you there?"

More silence.

Frasier sighed. "Well, we must have lost the connection, so-."

_"Wait!"_ the woman's voice said.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realize you were there. Who's calling?"

"Um... E-Elaine."

"Hello, Elaine. Where are you calling from?"

"Um... Well, I'm from... New York but I'm staying at the Rochester here in Seattle."

"The Rochester huh? Beautiful hotel! My ex-wife Lillith and I stayed there once, ages ago. I'll never forget when-."

He heard a faint sigh and then the unmistakable sound of crying and his heart went out to her.

"Look, I know it seems hopeless now, but we'll get through it together."

_"I just... I'm so scared."_ Elaine said tearfully.

"Ah yes. The dreaded word... _fear_. Well, now's the time to get your fears out into the open. Now what are you afraid of?"

"Um... Well... I've been having these nightmares and-."

"Nightmares... Or as I like to call them, monsters that invade a good night sleep."

"Frasier!" Roz yelled from the booth. "God, can't you tell the woman is upset? I barely got through Psychology 101 and I notice it!"

As though on cue, Elaine began to sob. "Oh God..."

"Oh dear..." Frasier said, suddenly at a loss for words.

He looked at Roz. "Help me" he mouthed.

Roz smiled and shook her head.

"Damn! I-I mean, _damned_ these nightmares for bothering you like this!" Frasier said. "If you want to talk about them, I'm listening."

"Um... well..."

"It's all right, Elaine. Just take your time."

Elaine sighed loudly. "Okay."

"So how long have you been having these nightmares?" Frasier asked.

Another sigh. "Oh God, every night. Ever since I got out of prison."

The last word was so faint; Frasier and Roz had to strain to hear it.

"I'm sorry, did you say Princeton? Well, I can certainly understand that." He said with a chuckle. "Their academic standards leave a lot to be desired."

"I said PRISON!" Elaine yelled.

Frasier glanced at Roz, swallowing hard.

Through the airwaves, he could hear Elaine crying again.

"Oh... I see. Well... um... How long were you locked up? I-I mean in prison?"

Elaine sighed. "For a year."

"A year? Seems like a unique sentence. Would you be terribly offended if I asked what the crime was?"

"Frasier! That's terrible!" Roz shouted.

Waving her off, Frasier focused his attention onto Elaine.

"I'm listening." He said again.

"Right... Well, let's see...my friends and I... Jerry, George, Kramer and I were on our way to Paris and..."

Frasier sighed dreamily. "Ahh, Paris. My favorite city." At Roz's death stare he blinked. "Go on, Elaine."

"Something happened and the plane started to plummet."

Frasier bolted from his chair "Oh my!"

"Yeah, so we ended up in Latham, Massachusetts of all places!"

"Never heard of it." Frasier said.

"I wish I hadn't." Elaine said.

"So then what happened?"

"Well my friends and I are walking around downtown, waiting for the plane to be repaired when we see this guy being carjacked at gunpoint."

"MY GOD!" Frasier said. "And they put you in jail for turning in the perpetrator? What nerve!"

"Well, no... Not exactly." Elaine said; her voice suddenly childlike.

"I see..." Frasier said.

"Oh all right. We made fun of the guy from across the street. But I swear, we had no idea that Latham had a Good Samaritan Law!"

"Good Samaritan Law?" Frasier repeated. "I had no idea such a thing exsisted."

"Me neither." Elaine said.

"So then what happened?"

"Well we had to go to trial and they brought back all of these people from our past. People I prayed I'd never see again and at the end they found us guilty!"

"Oh no..."  
"Yes!"

"I bet prison life must have been hard, especially being away from your friends."

"Well, at first I was glad, because... well, Kramer and George were being such jerks, but..."

"But what?"

"Well, then I started to miss them. Especially Jerry."

"And Jerry is..."

"Oh... he's my ex-boyfriend, but we've been close friends for years. He's at an interview for a magazine right now. He asked me to come here with him."

"Does he know about these nightmares?"

"What? Yeah, of course he does."

"I see."

"So tell me about the nightmares, Elaine." Frasier prompted.

Another sigh.

" Well there was this Warden in my cell block and... Oh God, she was awful... I keep seeing her every night, hurting me, yelling at me and..."

Elaine's voice broke again.

"I can't take this... I-I don't know what to do! I'm never this neurotic! Mentally insane, maybe, but not neurotic!"

"Oh God..." Frasier said.

"Um, we need to take a commercial break and we'll be right back."

"What?" Elaine said.

"Roz! Keep her on the phone!" Frasier yelled.

"Oh okay..." Roz said. "Are you still there, Elaine?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely not going anywhere." Elaine said.

"Listen, Dr. Crane wants to speak to you in private, so can you hold on for a second?"

"Um, no... That's probably not a good idea because..."

"Please?" Roz asked, ready to get down on her knees and beg.

"Well, okay."

"Good. Trust me, Dr. Crane doesn't do this very often-talk to his patients off the air."

"Patients? Wait, are you saying I'm psychotic?" Elaine yelled. "How _dare_ you!"

"No! Of course not! I just meant... Oh God... Please hold..."

To Frasier she said, "She's all yours. Good luck. "


	16. Chapter 16

Elaine blinked back tears, unable to believe that she'd sunk so low.

What was she thinking, calling a radio shrink?

Talking about her problems with anyone only made things worse, but Dr. Crane was so kind that she just couldn't help herself.

Who was she kidding? She was crazy to think this would even help.  
She was about to hang up when she heard the doctor's voice.

"Elaine? Are you there?"  
"Um... yeah."  
"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. In light of your... sensitive situation, I'd like to try something a little different."  
"Oh... Okay. I'll try anything." Elaine said.

"This is highly unusual, but I'd like to meet with you face to face. On a more... personal level."

Elaine shook her head. She should have known it would come to this.

"No! No! Absolutely not! I'm sorry but I don't need a shrink, okay?"  
"Um... yes... Well, shrink is a rather derogatory term for a professional such as myself whose mission in life is to HELP PEOPLE!"

Elaine was taken aback by the sudden sharpness of the doctor's tone. In the background she could hear the woman she'd spoken to just minutes earlier.

"FRASIER!"

There was a long silence before Dr. Crane returned to the phone. "I-I'm sorry about my unprofessional outburst of emotion."

"Hey don't worry about it. I have those all the time." Elaine said. "Especially since..."

"Now dear, it's best not to dwell on your problems. They only make us... well... more emotional." Dr Crane said.

"Exactly." Elaine said. "I should just go. Thank you, Dr. Crane."

"Elaine, wait!" Dr. Crane yelled seconds before she hung up the phone.

"Don't go. Please! I've never done this before, but I was hoping that we could meet-purely as friends, you understand-at my condo."

"FRASIER! Are you crazy?" The same woman's voice yelled from the background. "You'll get thrown off the air!"

"Shut up, Roz!" Dr. Crane yelled back, his voice muffled from what was probably his hand over the receiver.

"Oh no." Elaine said. "I don't think-."

"Please? I won't be able to live with myself, knowing that you're in such distress. I want to at least try to help you."

Feeling a slight sense of compassion for this Dr. Frasier Crane, Elaine sighed. "Okay. I guess it couldn't hurt."

"That's wonderful!" Dr. Crane said, obviously overjoyed at the prospect of helping her with her problems.

He had no idea what he was getting himself into.


	17. Chapter 17

Elaine stood at condo 1901-the address that Dr Crane had given her.

She still could not believe she was doing this.

And even more so, she couldn't believe that Dr. Crane was willing to waste his time on her.

But when she heard the sincerity in his voice, she caved. It must be a secret trait that men carried; voices like his had landed her in way too many bad relationships.

She knocked reluctantly and then turned away, immediately spinning around to face the door when she heard the rattling of the lock.

When the door was opened, she found herself face to face with the kind man whose photo she had seen on the poster at the airport.  
He smiled and took her hand in his, patting it warmly.

"Well, you must be Elaine. I'm Dr. Frasier Crane."

"I-it's nice to meet you." Elaine said nervously.

"Please, come in."  
She followed him into the condo and her breath was instantly taken away.

"Wow! This is beautiful." She said, glancing around the expansive space. Gorgeous light colored carpet, hardwood floors, a beautiful fireplace and the most incredible view of the Space Needle. And right by the window sat a sleek, black piano.

"Oh, well thank you very much." Dr. Crane said. "It suits me very nicely."  
"Just then an attractive petite woman entered the room, smiling when she saw Elaine.

"Well, Dr. Crane! Who might this lovely woman be?"  
Elaine blushed slightly and extended her hand. "Elaine Benes."

"Elaine! What a lovely name!" The woman said. "Me name's Daphne, although I've never quite gotten used to it."

Elaine couldn't help but smile at Daphne's adorable English accent.

Dr. Crane put his hand on Daphne's shoulder and smiled at Elaine. "Daphne is our housekeeper."

"Among other things." Daphne said with a wink. "Visitin' Dr. Crane, are ye?" Oh he's a lovely man. Although sometimes-."

Dr. Crane gave a nervous laugh. "Thank you, Daphne! That will be all. Elaine and I have some things to discuss."

"You don't have to explain yeself to me, Dr. Crane." Daphne said. "I'll just be in me room if anyone needs me. Pleasure meetin' you, Elaine."

Elaine smiled. "You too."

"Thank you, Daphne." Dr. Crane said.

When Dr. Crane and Elaine were alone, he turned to her and smiled. "So now. Let's see what we can do to help you."

Elaine sighed. "I don't think there's anything that anyone can do."

Dr. Crane reached over and patted her hand. "Now let's not take the negative path. Dreams and nightmares are such complex things and I really-."

The door burst open and Elaine turned to find a thin blond haired man rushing into the condo.

"Frasier, I'm terribly sorry to barge in like this, but I heard your show and I just had to come right over and tell you ho...ly Seattle, who is this?"

The man stared at Elaine, mesmerized.

Dr. Crane stood up. "Niles, this is Elaine... Benes, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Elaine said standing to greet this Niles person.

"Elaine, this is Niles Crane, my brother."

Niles walked toward Elaine and took her hand, then leaned down to kiss it.

"This is indeed a pleasure and might I say that you are a vision of loveliness?"

Elaine blushed deeply at the compliment. "Yes, you might say that." She said, feeling like a teenager.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd been genuinely admired by a man. Niles definitely wasn't her type, but at this point, he was looking pretty attractive.

"Niles Crane!"

Daphne's voice startled Elaine out of her thoughts, and she looked up to find that the previously perky housekeeper was giving Niles a look that Elaine knew all too well.

She'd used it on David Puddy countless times.

Amazingly Niles wasn't phased by Daphne's menacing glare.

"Oh, hello Darling." He said, kissing Daphne's cheek. "I was just getting acquainted with Elaine here."

Daphne crossed her arms in front of her chest and scoffed. "I bet you were. Looked like you were about to propose!"

Niles put his arm around Daphne. "Now Darling, you know that you'll always be my one and only."

Daphne's cheeks turned the same shade as her deep mauve lipstick. She put her arm around Niles and leaned against him. "Niles is me boyfriend, in case you were wonderin'"

Elaine smiled, as a strange sense of jealously came over her. "I had a feeling."

"All right, and speaking of feelings, can everyone leave so that Elaine and I can talk?" Dr. Crane asked.

"Certainly." Niles said, offering Daphne his arm. "Come on, Daphne. Let's go into the study and... study each other."

Daphne laughed, her cheeks reddening once more. "Oh Niles!"

"I'm sorry about the intrusion." Dr. Crane said when Niles and Daphne left the room. "So now, where were we?"

"Um... the nightmares?" Elaine said, slightly irritated that Dr. Crane seemed to have forgotten why she'd come."

"Oh yes. Well as I was saying... dreams-."  
"Eddie! Would you please stop running around so that I can put this collar on you?"  
Elaine blinked at the sight of the grey haired man carrying a cane. Following him was the Jack Russell Terrier that she'd seen in the airport poster.

"Dad, really! I'm trying to have a session here!" Dr. Crane said.  
"In the living room?" the man retorted.

"Well, do you see any other suitable places around here?"

"How about the study?"

Dr. Crane swallowed hard. "I believe Niles and Daphne are in there. Studying."

"Studying? What in the world could they possibly be... Oh... Now I understand." The man said.

"Exactly." Dr. Crane said.

He turned to Elaine who was watching the scene with amusement.

"Elaine this is my father, Martin Crane. Dad this is Elaine Benes."

"Pleased to meet you." Martin said as he slowly made his way over to a striped, worn upholstered chair.

The terrier ran over to Elaine, barking wildly.

"Eddie, stop that!" Martin yelled. At Elaine's worried look, he smiled. "Don't worry. He's harmless."

Amazingly, the dog dropped down at Elaine's feet and whimpered, obviously hurt by the comment.

"Dad. _Please_!" Dr Crane said irritably.

"Oh all right." Martin said. "Hey, why don't you use my room?"

"Dad, I hardly think-."

"Nonsense! Nobody will bother you in there."

"Well..."

"It's fine." Elaine said.

"Okay. Thanks Dad." Dr. Crane said, escorting Elaine down the hallway.

The familiar nervousness filled Elaine's chest at the prospect of telling her problems to Dr. Crane, and praying that it would help.

Because if it didn't, then nothing would.


	18. Chapter 18

_**The Rochester Hotel**_

The hotel door swung open and then slammed shut. Jerry stormed into the room, wishing he had something to throw.

Damn, what a waste of time that was! He still couldn't believe it.

Not only was the interviewer an hour late, but when he finally arrived, he repeatedly called Jerry by the wrong name! Not just any wrong name, though. Kenny Bania!

It was, without a doubt, the most humiliating moment of Jerry's life.

Thank God this was a local magazine and that he was being paid for this interview!

No matter how many times Jerry had corrected the interviewer, the man still called him Bania. It was as though the guy had no idea who Jerry was!

Jerry shuddered, remembering the hell he'd gone through for the past several hours.

He pulled off his sport coat and untied his tie, laying the clothes on a nearby chair. All he wanted to do was grab a bite to eat and then spend the rest of the evening relaxing in front of the television with Elaine.

A familiar warmth crept into his chest as he thought of her. If anyone could cheer him up, it was Elaine.

And the truth was that right now he needed her, more than he cared to admit.

Where was she, anyway?

"Elaine?"

He walked into the bedroom, half expecting to find her sound asleep, but she wasn't there.

Maybe she'd decided to go sightseeing after all.

He checked the bathroom just in case. A couple of towels were lying in a pile on the floor, while the robe was hanging from the back of the door.

The tub was still wet; the water droplets shining on the top of the gold faucet.

She hadn't been gone long.

Quickly he looked around finding no evidence of where she could have gone. Then he heard voices coming from the bedroom.

What in the-.

He ran inside, relieved when he realized it was the clock radio.

"_Join us each week night when we present the best of the Dr. Frasier Crane Show. Three hours of advice that Dr. Crane hopes you'll take to heart. He's listening."_

Jerry scoffed. "Yeah right. A radio shrink? Anyone who would call into one of those shows has got to be completely psychotic.

Someone like Newman.

Surely they can't expect to be taken seriously, announcing their problems to everyone within range of the radio station.

Hey, that would make a great topic for a routine!

He grabbed a pen and some hotel stationery and quickly jotted down some notes, before realizing that he was supposed to be worrying about Elaine.

He sat down on the bed, trying to think of where she might have gone, when he heard a noise, like crinkling paper.

He stood and turned to find a crumpled piece of hotel stationery that was written in Elaine's unmistakable scratchy handwriting.

Wow, no wonder she'd failed high school English.

He picked up the note and read it quickly.

_**Jer-**_

_**Had to go out for a little while.**_

_**Thanks for everything, **_

_**Love, Elaine.**_

He turned the note over, crazily hoping to find more on the back. It just wasn't like her to be so secretive.

Around him anyway.

They told each other everything; things that other people took to their graves. Not even George or Kramer knew about some of the long conversations Elaine and Jerry had shared over the phone about their dates, sparing no details at all.

He had to admit that he loved having a woman's point of view. It helped him relate to his girlfriends better in a weird sort of way.

Boy, he really needed to talk to her now.  
Not wanting to waste another second, he rose from the bed, pulled on his windbreaker and grabbed his wallet and keys.

He just had to find her.


	19. Chapter 19

**Martin's Room-Frasier's Condo**

"I-I'm sorry." Elaine sobbed into her hands. "I'm pathetic, I know."  
"Now Elaine, none of that." Dr. Crane said, rubbing her back.

"It's perfectly natural to be traumatized by such an experience. You were alone, ridiculed and upset. It takes time to get over something so disturbing."

She looked up, staring into the kind doctor's eyes.

"So... what am I supposed to do? I can't keep having these nightmares."

"Well, they'll dissipate in time, but right now the best thing is not to focus on the experience. Try to think of things in your life that make you happy. People, memories, or even things you want to happen. Try listening to soothing music before bed or watching a movie that makes you happy. If you do this every night, then I'd be willing to bet that the monsters that have been invading your sleep will eventually go away."

"Really?"

"Well, yes... but you must give it time. It won't happen overnight."  
Elaine sighed. "God, I can't thank you enough for this. I mean it feels so good to have finally told someone everything. The only other person who understands is Jerry."

"You've mentioned Jerry several times in our conversation." Dr. Crane said. "He must be a very special person in your life."

The statement caught Elaine off-guard. "Oh... well... We've known each other forever and we dated for the longest time."

"Sounds to me like you still care for him a great deal." Dr. Crane said.

"W-we're good friends." Elaine said.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah. I mean, we broke up ages ago, but..." Her voice trailed away.

Dr. Crane chuckled lightly. "Yes, well... It's wonderful that he's been there for you during this ordeal. Now look, it may not seem like it, but it will get better. I promise."

Elaine stood and brushed the tears from her face, following Dr. Crane into the living room.

"Is everything all right?" Niles asked. "I have to admit I was rather worried. I just couldn't stand the thought of your beautiful face overshadowed by pain."

Elaine smiled, her cheeks burning at the compliment.

"Well, I think Elaine will be just fine." Dr Crane said. "Once the demons were out in the open, it was easy to find out where they had come from."

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"I'll just get that." Daphne said.

"Oh, hello! Welcome to the Crane residence."

"Marla? Marla the virgin?"

Daphne gasped. "Look I don't know who ye are, but I most certainly am not a-."

She turned around, embarrassed by the stares she received.

"Oh... Dr. Crane... Niles, I..." She flushed a deep shade of pink.

"Oh sorry. You looked like someone I... never mind."

"Tis quite all right. What can I do for you?" Daphne asked.

"I was looking for..."

Elaine rose from the sofa in one fluid motion and walked to the door.

"Jerry? What are you doing here?"

He sighed with relief. "Elaine, thank God!"

Before she could respond he took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Aww... Now ain't that sweet?" Daphne sighed.

"I think somebody is smitten!" Niles said, grinning from ear to ear.

Elaine's heart was beating so rapidly she was sure that Jerry could hear it. She couldn't resist moving closer, amazed at how perfectly she fit against Jerry's body.

Slowly he let go but kept his hands on her shoulders.

"I was so worried about you." He said, gazing into her eyes as though they were the only people in the room.

"You were?" Elaine asked; her heart fluttering.

"Well, I'm so happy everything worked out." Dr. Crane said.

The intimate moment gone, Elaine reluctantly slid her arms away from Jerry's waist.

"I'm Dr. Frasier Crane." The doctor said, extending his hand in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Jerry Seinfeld."

"The comedian?" Martin asked, his eyes sparkling.

Jerry smiled. "The one and only."

Martin laughed. "I saw you on Letterman last week. You were just hilarious! I mean when you-."

"Dad, please!" Dr. Crane said. "I'm sorry, Mr. Seinfeld, you'll have to excuse my father. He gets a little... starry-eyed when it comes to seeing celebrities."

Then Dr. Crane smiled. "Of course I can't say that I blame him. I get recognized on the streets quite often. It's flattering, really."

"Well, thanks but I wouldn't really call myself a celebrity." Jerry said.

"Oh you most certainly are." Daphne said. Anyone who's on the television is a celebrity in this house."

"Ahem..."

"Oh yes...and on the radio as well." Daphne said, nodding at Dr. Crane.

Jerry glanced at Elaine. "Well, we should probably go. It was a pleasure meeting you all."

"The pleasure was ours." Dr. Crane said.

Jerry shook hands with everyone and then turned to Elaine. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Elaine said, suddenly wishing they didn't have to leave.

"It was lovely to meet you, Elaine. Jerry." Daphne said, opening the door for them.

Jerry and Elaine stepped into the hallway.

"Have a safe trip back to New York, okay?" Dr. Crane said.

"Thanks. We will." Jerry said.

When the door closed, Jerry and Elaine found themselves alone in the hallway.

Elaine looked at Jerry as a now-familiar shyness came over her.

"So..."

"So..." Jerry repeated.

"H-how did you know where to find me?" Elaine asked.

Jerry looked away a little too quickly.

"Jerry?"

He seemed far away, as though he was deep in thought.

"Well?" Elaine asked, wondering why he was so quiet. It was completely unlike him.

He shuffled his feet, obviously as nervous as she was.

"Well, um... I just asked the concierge. Fortunately he remembered telling the cab driver where to take you, and..."

Elaine's eyes lit up. "You really were worried about me, weren't you?"

When his face reddened, she smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Come on, let's get out of here." He draped his arm around her, and pushed the button to call the elevator.

The doors slid open and they stepped inside.

"Wait..." Elaine said, opening the doors again.

"Something wrong?" Jerry asked.

"Oh no. It's just..." She eyed Dr. Crane's condo. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Jerry shrugged. "Sure. I'll just wait out here."

Elaine knocked lightly on the door. When no one answered, she turned the knob and slipped inside.

"Anyone here?" She called to the empty living room.

Daphne surfaced from the kitchen. "Elaine! Didn't expect to be seein' ya again so soon! Is somethin' wrong?"

"Well, no... But..."

Elaine looked up to see Dr. Crane and Niles standing in the kitchen.

"Well, Frasier." Niles was saying. "I should probably get back to the office." He glanced at his watch. "I have a

patient who will be absolutely livid if I'm late. She's schizophrenic you see."

"Ah... so at least one of her will be upset." Dr. Crane said with a smile.

The two brothers broke out into a fit of laughter.

"That's quite humorous." Niles said. "I'll have to use that one. I'll see you later."

As Niles stepped into the living room, Dr. Crane put a hand on his arm. "Um... Niles?"

Niles turned in surprise. "Yes, Frasier?"

"When you came over earlier you were rather excited to tell me something. What was it?"

"Oh..." Niles cast his eyes downward.

"Something wrong?"

"No... I just... Well, I wanted to tell you that I heard your show this afternoon and... Well... when you were talking to that woman. The one who wanted to reconcile with her brother..."

"Ah yes." Dr. Crane said. "She was in such a state when she called. "Do you think the advice I gave her was acceptable?"

"As always." Niles said. "But Frasier, I was really referring to what you said about me."

"Oh..."

To Elaine's surprise, the doctor's face reddened.

"Do you really mean it? You love me dearly?"

Dr. Crane rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and then straightened as though suddenly gaining confidence.

"Yes, Niles. I really do."

This time it was Niles who blushed. "Well, this is rather unusual, but I love you too, Frasier."

Elaine's eyes filled with tears as Niles reached out and hugged his brother.

"Oh... Niles." Dr. Crane said, relishing the sentimental moment.

"Well if this ain't the most touchin' thing me eyes have ever seen." Daphne said, blotting her eyes with a dish towel.

"Oh... I thought we were alone." Niles said, quickly pulling out of the embrace when he saw Daphne and Elaine watching them.

"You're never alone in this house, Niles." Daphne said with a laugh.

"Why Elaine! I thought you'd gone." Dr. Crane said.

"Well, I was, but..."

"Are you okay, Hon?" Niles asked, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I just..."

Suddenly she felt everyone's eyes on her.

"It's best to get your feelings out in the open." Niles said.

"Niles!" Daphne scolded. "She ain't one of your patients!"

"You're right. I-I'm sorry." Niles said, giving Elaine a remorseful glance.

"What's on your mind, Elaine?" Dr. Crane asked.

Elaine smiled, realizing that she'd fallen in love with this family.

"Just... Thank you. For everything. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

She walked over to Dr. Crane and hugged him tightly.

"Oh..." He responded, clearly taken aback by the sudden affection. "Well, Elaine. You're most welcome."

Then she turned to his brother. "Thank you, Niles."

"Thank you? For what?"

Elaine smiled and hugged him. "Just thank you."

When she pulled away, he grinned. "You're welcome. Anytime."

There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get that." Daphne said. She opened the door to find Jerry smiling at her. "Oh, Mr. Seinfeld! Have you been in the hallway all this time?"

"Yeah, but Elaine said she needed..."

Elaine looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh God, I didn't realize I'd been in here so long."

She looked at her new friends and smiled. "Well, I guess this is it. Thank you again. All of you."

"You're most welcome." Daphne said, giving Elaine one last hug. "If you're ever in Seattle again, feel free to stop by."

"Thanks, I will." Elaine said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Love." Daphne said.

When the door closed, Elaine looked at Jerry and smiled. "Come on. Let's go explore Seattle."

**(*Author's Note* For those of you who don't watch Seinfeld, Jane Leeves who portrays Daphne on **_**Frasier**_** did a guest spot on **_**Seinfeld**_** as a character named Marla the Virgin)**


	20. Chapter 20

"Oh my God, you can't be serious!" Elaine said laughing as she and Jerry walked through the bustling Pike Place Market.

"I wish I was." Jerry said. "The fact that the guy from the magazine had no idea who I am was bad enough but then to call me Kenny Bania? Makes me sick just thinking about it! IT'S A CONSPIRACY, I TELL YOU!" He yelled, causing a few heads to turn.

"Jerry!" Elaine said, trying not to laugh. She grabbed his arm and pulled him through a crowd of tourists who were watching fish being thrown through the air.

"Now there's a lawsuit just waiting to happen." Jerry said as a fish flew over his head. "How do you suppose that case would hold up in court?"

"I guess it depends on whether or not the judge eats seafood." Elaine quipped.

To her amazement, Jerry laughed. "That's good! Can I use that?"

Elaine grinned. "Well... Okay, but it'll cost you!"  
When Jerry stopped and looked at her, she could have sworn he was going to respond, but he quickly turned his head and resumed walking.

"I love Seattle." She sighed, taking in the sights and sounds of the market.

"Yeah, it's great." Jerry said sarcastically. "I've managed to make Kenny Bania even more famous and he's not even here."

She turned to him and put her hand on his forearm.

"Oh God, I'm sorry. You must be really disappointed. I know how much you were looking foreword to that interview. I guess you aren't having a very good time, are you?"

He was quiet for a moment and then smiled as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'm having a great time."

Elaine's heart fluttered and she stared at him, suddenly unable to look away.

"So what now?" He asked.

"Can we go to the Space Needle?" Elaine asked.

When he put his arm around her, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Well we are in Seattle." He replied. "To not go would be like going to New York and being polite to the cab driver."

Elaine linked her arm through his.

"Come on, Seinfeld, we have a Space Needle to visit."

(Later-Space Needle Observation deck)

"Everything is so peaceful from up here." Elaine sighed as she starred out at the twinkling city lights.

"Well, sure it's peaceful to us, but you know that somewhere down there, at least one guy is arguing with a cop about a traffic ticket."

Elaine laughed nervously, suddenly unable to look at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem kind of distant." Jerry said.

"Just tired from a long day." She said, knowing he would see through the lie.

"Elaine..."

"Yeah?"

At that moment, she had an overwhelming urge to kiss him, but she didn't dare. To make a move would be the end of their friendship. She refused to make the same mistake that she'd made all those years ago.

"Why were you at Dr. Crane's condo? It's not like you to take advice from strangers, let alone people on the radio. Ever heard some of the psychos who call in on those shows?" Jerry asked.

She saw a flash of irritation (or was it anger?) in his eyes and she knew she had to say something.

"I don't usually... listen to that stuff, but I was just... so scared, Jerry."

"Scared of what?"

"Well, of going to sleep!" She said, praying that her voice would remain steady. "Whenever I'd close my eyes, all I could see was..."

As the haunting images returned, her eyes filled with tears and one slid down her cheek.

"I-I'm sorry." She said, turning away as her voice broke.

She felt Jerry's hand on her shoulder.

"Elaine..."

She turned around, her eyes wet with tears.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have.."

"It's fine, really."

He reached over and brushed a tear from her cheek.

"Elaine, I..."

Slowly he moved toward her until he was so close she could feel his breath on her face. She swallowed hard; her heart beating rapidly.

Without warning, he looked away. "Um... It's getting late."

Elaine's heart sank. "Okay..."

They made their way around the observation deck, stopping just short of the elevator.

"Elaine..." Jerry said when Elaine began to walk away. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just..." She walked to the edge of the deck, staring out onto the city below.

"Elaine?"

She turned to him, wanting to say something, but no words seemed like enough.

Instead she smiled.

_(Later that night)_

Jerry woke, trying to focus in the darkness. What a disastrous trip this had been.

Well, except for the company.

He turned his head to catch a glimpse of her.

Elaine lay in bed sleeping peacefully; her hair cascading over the pillow.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there, staring at her, wondering how he could have...

A faint moan brought him out of his thoughts.

_What was that?_

When he heard only silence he closed his eyes, returning to sleep.

Seconds later the sound came again, followed by rustling.

Jerry sat up in bed.

"Elaine?"

He looked over, alarmed when he saw that she was tossing and turning.

"Jerry..."

_Oh no... Not again..._

Within seconds he was at her side, gently shaking her awake.

"Lainey, it's Jerry."

She stirred awake and then sat upright, gasping when she saw him.

"You were dreaming again."  
"Oh..." She said, avoiding his eyes.

"God, Lainey, I can't stand to see you like this."  
"I-I'm okay." She said.

He put his hand on her shoulder. "You're shaking, Elaine. You expect me to believe that you're fine?"

"I-I am. It's just..."

"You were dreaming about prison again, weren't you?"

She shook her head. "No, actually."

He was both concerned and relieved by this news.

"Okay, then..."

She swallowed hard. "I was dreaming about you."

"Me? What was I doing? Humiliating myself on national TV? Come to think of it, that would be a nightmare." He shuddered at the thought, causing her to laugh.

"No. We were... um... kissing."

He smiled thoughtfully. "Kissing, huh?"

"Um, yeah, but it was just a..."

He moved toward her ever so slowly until his lips brushed against hers.

"Like that?" He asked, smiling at her stunned expression.

"Jerry..." she murmured.

"No good, huh?" He asked.

When she didn't respond, he shrugged. "Well, I'll just have to try it again."

He brought his hand around the back of her neck and drew her closer. Their lips touched, tentatively at first. He was shocked at his eager response to her mouth on his.

Elaine's hand slid around his neck, fingers splayed through his hair, working their way down his back, gently massaging.

"Jerry..." She moaned.

Before either of them was ready, he pulled away from her.

"How was that?" He asked, breathless.

At her serious expression, he sighed.

_You blew it again, Seinfeld..._

"Something wrong?" He asked for what seemed like the tenth time that evening.

"Actually yes. There is." Elaine said.

He watched her eyes, searching for an answer.

Then to his amazement, she smiled.

"I think it was more like this..."

She pulled him toward her, their lips coming together in a searing passionate embrace.

**THE END**

**(A/N-I tried to write this without turning it into a romance, but... well you see how long that lasted! =) Thanks for reading!)**


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